Memphis

Memphis, a city and port of entry of Tennessee, stands on a high bluff on the east bank of the Mississippi River, 826 miles above New Orleans, and 230 miles by rail WSW. of Nashville. The river to this point is navigable for the largest sea-going vessels, and eight lines of railway terminate here; the trade of Memphis is accordingly very large. It is a handsome town, with wide, regular streets, and great warehouses bordering the esplanade that extends along the bluff. The public buildings include a custom-house, cotton exchange, a large hospital, a Roman Catholic college, and numerous churches. Memphis is one of the first cotton marts in the United States, and has numerous manufactories. The city was visited by fearful epidemics of yellow fever in 1878 and 1879, since when its drainage has been reconstructed. A great steel cantilever railway bridge across the Mississippi was opened in 1892; it has five spans, and a total length of 1886 feet. Pop. (1850) 8841; (1870) 40,226; (1880) 33,592; (1890) 64,495.